


old friends are a misery but they're better than graves

by driedupwishes



Series: no power in the verse can take you from me [4]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Firefly Verse, F/F, Head Over Ass In Love Levi, M/M, Protective Eren Yeager
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 21:26:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6441406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/driedupwishes/pseuds/driedupwishes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi didn’t have the chance to swear, let alone breathe; one second he and Nile were just standing, pretty as you please, Nile with a pistol in one hand, and the next Eren was spinning in, lookin’ like a gorram angel, blazing and pure, all vengeance and glory and light, so bright Levi couldn’t breathe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	old friends are a misery but they're better than graves

Levi walked into the mill knowing full well he was walking into a rigged meeting. He had expected it taking the job - respected it even, in some which way, 'specially after the last time he'd been on this little moon. Hanji had only arched their eyebrows when he'd ordered everyone to get the cargo ready, saying he was going ahead. There'd been a little twitch to their lips, maybe a suppressed kind of smile that said they knew what he was walking into.

Levi had almost told them to shove it up their gorram ass, but one look at Eren with his eyebrows bent like he suspected something had him biting his tongue and walking out without a word.

There wasn't a way in any system he was getting outta this meeting without getting a little roughed up, which was fine. Despite what'd been said about Nile, on Levi's ship and off it, he knew Nile wouldn't do something moonstruck like _actually_ shoot him. Threaten him, sure, lob a rock or something at his head, _absolutely_ , but ain't no way in the 'verse Nile would shoot him, so it wasn't like he was worried. He could've brought Jean along, could've even brought everyone, but there wasn't any reason to cause a fuss, get everyone all twitchy and riled when Levi knew this was all just a part of the business.

'Sides, Levi wasn't about to bring Eren into this shit, scare him half to death at the sight of a gun pointed at Levi. The last thing he wanted was to upset him like that, so he figured he'd just go alone.

Still it was a little unsettling, the sound of a pistol being cocked as he wandered into the center of the old mill, right where the light from the door ended on the floor. Levi tensed, hands at his sides, and he felt a prickle at his back, a twitch he couldn't itch as the door he'd walked through, the very same one lighting this place up with sunlight, slid shut behind him.

"Well if it isn't Levi ruttin' Ackerman," Nile said. Levi made a face as he put his hands up, cooperative as could be. Nile's men crept outta the shadows as Nile strolled forward, a shiny silver pistol aimed at Levi's head.

_Shootin' at you is like aimin' from the hip_ , Nile'd once said. Levi almost snorted at the memory, but kept it in check.

"Nile," Levi said easily, maybe a little sarcastically. This would’ve been the part where someone would’ve snorted, if he hadn’t left everybody back at the ship. Gorram, he couldn’t believe it, but he missed his crew. Something fond crawled up his throat, something with twitchy little legs that he had to swallow back. He cleared his throat, like ain’t nothing happened, and added, "Hanji's bringing the cargo 'round, should be here soon."

"Good," Nile said shortly. He glanced away, the place too murky with shadows for Levi to tell how many men he had with him. Probably only a few; Nile didn't own the whole moon, just this area, and last Levi'd heard that was how he liked it. He wouldn't have brought more than six men with him, not just for this.

"You lot go outside, keep an eye out for Levi's crew. I've got something I'd like to talk to the good captain here about."

A few snorts, one quiet laugh, and with a few glimpses of sunlight the men dispersed. Levi counted eight, eyebrows creeping up his forehead as Nile closed in, pistol still level with Levi's head.

"You really didn't need eight men for a pick-up," Levi murmured. Nile didn't shift, but something in his eyes did, lips pursing tightly together, going pale and bloodless with the pressure.

"Got a bit of a territory dispute going," Nile admitted quietly, after a pause that lasted too many heartbeats long. "Didn't wanna lose this gorram shit after going to all the trouble of getting it from you."

Levi felt his eyebrows furrow and he almost sputtered, becoming genuinely and honestly offended for a hot second. "If you'd’ve mentioned that, we could've flown 'em straight to your town. _You_ were the one to insist on this empty ruttin' mill, you gorram stuck up _bastard_."

Nile rolled his eyes, expressively and expansively, as unfazed with Levi’s language as he’d ever been. "Oh sure, and what a ruttin' great time that would've been. On the off chance that the rumors about your trigger happy crew haven't been exaggerated, I figured I'd keep you outta range. My wife's got enough work as is, doesn't need some small fry smuggler shootin' up the place."

"Oh for-"

Levi'd been fixing to swear something fierce at the greasy ruttin' _stupid_ prick, only there was a sound that stopped him. A snarl, soft, like a stray pup had joined the fray, only _lower_ , growing volume by the second as it spilled outta the shadows and shook the mill floor.

Or maybe that was just Levi's knees shaking, 'cause from the shadows came Eren Jaeger and _gorram_ if he wasn't a sight to behold.

(Levi had lost faint in angels and God long, long before the war had run its course, before Serenity Valley, before he’d started wearing three sets of tags instead of one. He’d lost his way before they’d all gone to Hell in a handbasket, kissed the cross his mother had left him and let it drop. Sometimes when people asked, he blamed the war, smiled without it reaching his eyes and asked them if they’ve ever held a dying young man crying for his mother and begging to live, if they’d ever had to leave that young man’s body in the mud to rot; if they’d believe in some gorram shit like Heaven after that. It usually shut the conversation down real nice like, gave Hanji a chance to slip in and take over, talking over the stuttered apologies a mile a minute while Levi glowered in the background. It was a system that worked, one that Levi was more than happy to stick to until he found something better.

But ruttin’ gorram _shit_ if Eren Jaeger wasn’t something like an angel, the avenging type of thing, swinging outta the shadows of the run down little mill with an expression like a thundercloud as he barreled toward the man holding a pistol to Levi’s head.

He was a beacon of purity in this ruttin’ messed up filthy little galaxy and Hell would freeze over and the Alliance would keel over with an apology on their lips before anything would taint him.)

Levi didn’t have the chance to swear, let alone breathe; one second he and Nile were just standing, pretty as you please, Nile with a pistol in one hand, and the next Eren was spinning in. He was moving so fast Levi nearly blinked and missed him as he hooked a leg around Nile’s, stuck an elbow in his gut, strong-armed the greasy haired man and swung him around, all while relieving him of his firearm. All in all it took no more than a heartbeat and a half before Eren was standing, shoulders squared so broadly Levi expected to blink and see wings, towering in the murk with Nile’s pistol against his temple as the older man gasped for breath.

He sorta wanted to laugh, because the moment called for a little gloating; his boy had pulled one over neat and nice and gorram Levi was _proud_ , but Eren’s finger twitched, knuckle tightening around the trigger, and that knocked the wind out of Levi’s sails real quick.

“ _Eren_ ,” Levi said, taking a step forward. He tried not to sound too proud, though he knew he was like some kinda open book when it came to Eren; everything he was, everything he felt, blasted loud and clear, on every channel for every boat in the sky to pick up on their comms. Later, he’d tell Eren how incredible he was, when he had time to comb his hand through Eren’s unruly hair, to reassure himself that Eren was _okay_. He’d probably have to give Eren time to reassure himself Levi was okay in turn, which he wasn’t opposed to a bit; Eren would probably fuss, make him sit on the medical table as he huffed and puffed and poked at him, eyebrows furrowed. If Levi so much got a scrape these days, Eren was there, pushing Mikasa out of the way to play doctor instead. It made him feel good, he’d said once, to be able to patch Levi up, and anything that made Eren feel good, Levi’d give him in an instant.

For a minute, while Levi was lost in the thought of _later_ , it looked like Eren wasn’t going listen to Levi’s unspoken order. But then a little tension bled out of his shoulders, his face twitching as he loosened his finger from around the trigger, lip curling in a silent snarl of protest even as he shifted his weight away from Nile and towards Levi instead.

“ _Jesus_ ,” Nile said. He sounded winded and the thought made Levi purse his lips to hide a grin. “Christ, Levi, what the ruttin’ _hell_. Who the hell-“

Eren growled. Honest, Levi’s hand to God, his faithless ass to Hell and all, growled.

For some gorram reason, Levi wanted to kiss him right then. Jesus, there was something ruttin’ wrong with him.

“ _Nobody_ ,” Eren growled, lip curling, hand steady as he stalked a step closer. Nile didn’t quite scurry back, but he did lean, very slightly, all backward like. Levi wanted to laugh again, but bit his lip instead. “ _Nobody points a gun at my- captain_.”

(A pause. There’d been a pause before _captain_ , a glimmer of green eyes darting his way. Levi licked his lips and felt his chest constrict, heart swelling with a fondness he couldn’t contain.

He probably looked like a right fool, grinning in the middle of an ambush in this dusty old moon’s run down old mill, but it didn’t matter. Who the ruttin’ hell was gonna tell anyway?)

“Alright, kid, Jesus, I ain’t gonna point nothin’ at Levi anymore, put the gun away. I was jus’ playin’ anyway.”

Lightning struck, a flash in Eren’s eyes, a furrow of his eyebrows, thick like stormclouds, and Nile almost yelped, his voice going high as he cried, “ _Levi_!”

“Put the gun down, Eren,” Levi said. The laughter lurking in his voice slunk into the shadows, tickling the back of his nose as he swallowed a snort at Eren’s furious glance his way. Levi walked up, clapping the younger man carefully on the shoulder before he removed the pistol from Eren’s hand, spinning it ‘round to hand back to Nile. Eren let him, but his shoulders bunched up, hands falling into fists at his side.

(Levi wanted to kiss him, cradle his dusty, furious face and kiss him until they both fell over something fierce. Gorram, he loved Eren Jaeger.)

“Nile was just being a prick,” Levi continued, as Nile shoved the gun back in his holster and a racket started outside. Levi could hear Hanji’s voice, as well as Jean’s, both of them raised, both of them annoying. He rolled his eyes, leaning against Eren’s arm slightly, feeling Eren press back against him two-fold. Levi turned from Nile to Eren, meeting his green eyes head on, and Eren was as sour as could be, a pout threatening to overtake his bottom lip.

“He pointed a _gun_ at you,” Eren muttered, low, voice cracking with the weight of his emotions. Levi’s chest went tight, a pain squeezing around his heart as Eren’s anger shifted, letting him get a peek at the worry that had been buried beneath it. Levi sighed, feeling himself smile, small and a little wry.

“Occupational type hazard, Eren,” he muttered back. “Kinda comes with the smugglin’ business.”

Eren made a face, like he might argue with that, but before he could get more than the start of a tremendous pout rolling, the sound of gunfire joined the shouting outside and Krista barreled through the mill door, breathless, hair sticking up like crazy.

“Um, Capt’n,” she said. Somewhere Ymir was screaming Krista’s name, sounding mighty unhappy that the blonde was not wherever the ex-Companion thought she ought to be. Probably inside, behind some bulletproof type glass or something, if Levi knew those girls right. Not that he was in disagreement with Ymir in this situation, but still. “We’ve got a bit of a situation on our hands…”

Eren shot Levi a look, one that made him want to grin, just to be obstinate. “Some of that occupational type hazard, huh,” Eren mumbled, eyebrows furrowing once more.

Levi couldn’t help it much; he laughed, pulling out a pistol from the holster on his hip and pressing it into Eren’s warm steady hands. “Ain’t nobody gettin’ shot today,” he promised. And then, again, with a softer kind of tone, “I ain’t gettin’ shot today.”

Eren made a face, nose scrunching up, like a bunny rabbit or some such, gorgeous eyes rolling expansively as he huffed. The shouting from outside took a sharper edge, Levi’s name cropping up, engines revving, coming from all ‘round. Levi cursed Nile’s ruttin’ name as he slid his other pistol from his hip, starting for the door with a sigh.

“Get Krista inside the ship and _don’t_ worry ‘bout me following,” Levi told Eren, who slid beside him, Krista at his back. Levi made eye-contact with his mechanic, giving her a look that meant _don’t you dare let him die_. Krista, small as the day they met but with more bite in her than Levi could have expected, fisted a hand in the back of Eren’s shirt and gave him a look right back.

_No one can stop Eren once he sets his mind to something_ , the look said. The thought made Levi’s gut clench, his stomach turning like he was ‘bout to be sick. Outside it sounded like a war was being waged, only small like; actual wars hardly ever had the decency to take place with proper cover, nor did they happen too often in daylight, as far as Levi’d experienced. A lot of sleeping with the sun shining and waiting for an attack come nightfall all antsy-pantsy like.

The less he relived that, the better, he thought dryly. Levi looked at Eren, shifting to press his shoulder against the wooden door.

“On the count of three,” he said. Eren blinked, and like a gear done shifted in his head, when he looked at Levi next his eyes were gleaming like a blade, his whole being poised and waiting. The Alliance had done this, had turned him into a weapon; Levi’d been on the receiving end of Eren’s attacks a time or two, on _really_ bad days, and he knew for a fact there ain’t nothing like Eren when he turned that part of him loose.

(Poised like that, a fire burning just underneath his skin, one that was reflected in those glitterin’ green eyes, Levi thought again about Eren as some kind of avenging angel. Gorgeous and pure, no matter what’d been done to him, no matter what he’d done. Everything Eren had done, he’d done in defense, either of himself or of someone else.

Levi thought of Krista, fingers curled tight like around a mug, sitting in the co-pilot’s chair the night he’d been pulled outta some crimelord’s hell-hole of a space station. Thought of the way she’d tucked her knees against her chest and spoke of how her hands had trembled ‘round the gun Annie had given her, how she’d been so _scared_ at the prospect of shooting someone who had someone to go back to.

Thought about how she’d look at him and said, “Eren shot two men for me. They were gonna kill me, Capt’n, but Eren was just- _there_. Didn’t mean to put him in no danger, but-“

“Ain’t nothing wrong with what you did,” Levi had interrupted. He’d been thinking of Eren, save now in Levi’s bunk. Levi’d meant to be down there with him, but there’d been a look about Krista he hadn’t been able to put outta his mind. “Eren’s a big boy, he can take care of himself. You ain’t gotta be sorry and you ain’t gotta be _scared_ , not of him. He saved you, but he’s still Eren.”

Krista’s lip had curled, a little of her bite bleeding into her voice like frost across a field. “Didn’t look like Eren,” she had muttered.

And that was the part that Levi’d never really understood. Eren always looked like Eren, in control or outta it, Good Day or Bad Day; Eren was the most gorgeous, pure creature ever been created in this or any other galaxy out there. Levi’d know those green glitterin’ eyes anywhere.)

“One,” Levi said, pulling himself into a tight coil and pushing his thoughts away. Krista swallowed, her face steady, no sign of fear. Levi was proud of her, a little. “Two,” he continued quietly, glancing at Nile.

“Three,” Eren breathed, and they surged out into the sunlit firefight.

 

-

 

“So,” Jean said, after they’d fought and fled and wasted a ruttin’ month’s worth of ammo chasing the gorram bandits across dull, empty plains to get the supplies they’d stolen back. He was looking at Nile, who was leaning against the wall of the loading bay, arms and ankles crossed like he was relaxing at the lake or some shit. Levi rolled his eyes at the man who was lingering even after his men had already hauled the supplies back out of their hold and into the town proper.

Levi wasn’t in any rush to leave, ‘specially since Mikasa was down making nice with Nile’s wife, trading doctor type information and the like. They’d been invited to dinner, not that Levi was looking forward much to a dinner with Maria and the kids, but he’d hadn’t much of a say in the matter. Hanji’d taken one look at his sour expression and had shouted _yes_ before Levi could throw something at their head.

“Yeah, kid?”

Jean made a face, disgruntled at being called kid, but after a sharp look from Levi he settled into a sullen sulk instead, crossing his arms over his chest like he was tough shit. “Word is that you fought with Hanji and the captain in the war. That true?”

Nile glanced over, eying Levi, but Levi just shrugged. His past was nothing to hide, per say, he just didn’t wanna be the one to talk about it. Hanji had a manner about them that made asking them questions more headache than it was worth, so the crew didn’t get much of their history outta either of them.

“Yeah,” Nile said, instantly becoming the most interesting thing on the ship. Everyone tuned in, peering at him from around the room. Ymir and Krista quieted on the edge of the dock, both curled on one of Ymir’s blankets in the fading sunlight, while Jean straightened, and Hanji, perched on a crate nearby, laughed, low and soft. Armin did the best of hiding his surprise, shifting on the edge of the crate next to Jean’s towering form, the ancient data pad he’d been fiddling with subtly dropped in his lap. Even Annie seemed to perk up in interest, shifting on the weight bench, her eyes bright like a hawk’s as she glanced between Nile, Levi, and Hanji in quick session.

Eren was the only one who seemed unaffected by the news, sitting at Levi’s side, shoulders hunched. He’d shot a couple of men today, but Levi wasn’t inclined to believe that was the source of his cloud-covered expression. Levi suspected Eren didn’t like Nile much, suspected even more than he was disinclined to listen to stories about Levi’s old war days unless it was Levi telling him.

But that could’ve just been Levi’s ego talking, so he kept him mouth shut, leaning back on the rear end of their ground wheels where he and Eren were perched.

“Wasn’t in Levi’s squad though,” Nile added after a moment, as the silence stretched. Nile tried to catch Levi’s eye, but Levi snorted, looking instead at Eren. Green eyes caught him, the younger man watching him with an intensity that made him shiver, and Nile scoffed softly before continuing. “Our squads worked together a lot, so I saw the short piece of shit enough. Hanji too, since they were Levi’s third.”

Eren’s hands tightened, knuckles going white when Nile said _short piece of shit_ , his jaw clenching too. Levi leaned his shoulder into Eren’s, pursing his lips against a grin as a warm feeling bloomed lazily in his chest.

“Third? I thought Hanji was his second?”

(Sandy hair, light eyes. A slow drawl, “ _you’ve got to be shittin’ me, Levs; the Browncoats? You really lookin’ to get shot that badly, ‘cause I can do it for you if that’s the case.”_ )

“Don’t look at me like that,” Hanji protested, somewhere in his peripheral. He didn’t know who they were defended themselves against. “I never said nothing about being Levi’s second in command outside of this boat. You put that idea in your own heads.”

“But if _you_ weren’t, who _was_?”

The question, Ymir, blunt and loud, was directed at Nile as much as it was Hanji. Levi felt his chest tighten, an old injury he’d never suffered physical-like aching something fierce. Eren pressed against his shoulder, pressure redoubled at that second, eyes still locked on his face when Levi blinked.

“Someone who ain’t ‘round no more,” Nile said, short and brisk like, probably realizing his ruttin’ mistake. Levi realized he was reaching for the tags ‘round his neck, forced himself to put his hand down and swallow, the motion scraping him raw from his throat to his ribs. The mood in the air changed in an instant, all the warm curiosity vanishing like rigor mortis had set in; stiff, pale faces peered ‘round the hold at one another, all eyes falling on Levi as the seconds ticked by. He couldn’t help but snort, raising his eyebrows at his crew, hands clenching in his lap.

“What,” he asked, the sound of his voice a hollow rattle in his throat. “Did you all think we’d strolled through the war, got our asses kicked, and walked out with everybody we walked in with, all like that?”

“No, we just-,” Krista’s lip got clamped between her teeth, her hands wrung in her lap until Ymir wedged hers in there too, tangling their fingers together to keep her still. Ymir gave Levi a look that said she blamed him for this and Levi rolled his eyes, some of the tension bleeding out of him.

Ymir’d blame Levi for near about anything, if she could. ‘Specially if that something resulted in little ol’ Krista getting all up in a fluster. Levi didn’t mind much; they’d had Krista before they’d had Ymir and he knew Krista was tougher than just about anyone gave her credit for, knew he and Krista had a kind of understanding between them. Levi trusted her with his boat and that wasn’t no little thing to be brushed off and taken for granted.

Levi glanced over, caught Krista’s eye, and turned the corner of his mouth up in an approximation of a smile. “I know,” he told her gently, “it’s okay, no fussin’. His name was Farlan. We had grown up together, enlisted together too. He died.”

Against his shoulder the heat that was Eren was reassuring feeling, one that lessened the tension in his shoulders bit by bit as the seconds passed. It was strangely easy to talk in that moment, maybe because Nile and Hanji were there to take over should he falter, but Levi suspected it wasn’t wholly that. Eren’s hand had covered Levi’s, the one that had been creeping to reach for his tags, and the weight of it, the smooth palm against his rough, scarred knuckles, was like an anchor.

(Farlan would’ve howled at what an easy to calm sap Levi’d become. Would’ve keeled straight over, clutching at his ribs and crying, probably, wheezing something like _I knew it, I ruttin’ knew it_.

Levi would’ve thrown something at his head and stormed off. Or maybe he wouldn’t have.

Who knew, Levi thought tiredly. Farlan was dead, he couldn’t do nothing now.

The thought, like Eren’s hand, was strangely anchoring. Levi hadn’t realized he’d become so at peace with the dead, but it looked like what time hadn’t healed, love had started to.

With so many anchors holding him down, it was a wonder that a glimpse of green eyes could have him feelin’ like he was floating all over again.)

“Oh, Capt’n,” Krista muttered, her eyes big ol’ wobbly things. She covered her mouth, grief stricken, and Levi was struck, as rarely as he was sometimes, how much she looked like Isabel.

One glance at Nile and Levi could tell the old bastard thought so too.

“Go on,” Levi told Nile, settling further against Eren’s shoulder without a hint of shame. “You never were very good at keeping your gorram mouth shut, were you?”

“And _you_ were never any good at keeping your gorram temper,” Nile said, instead of the comment about Isabel he’d probably been thinking. Just as well, considering the last time he’d mentioned the dead girl Levi’d hit him. Though Levi was a little too comfortable at the moment to go flinging himself into a fist fight just yet. Maybe later, if Eren moved.

“The captain? You’re ruttin’ joking,” Jean said. He crossed his arms, mouth twisting downward all fierce like as he glanced between Nile and the cart where Levi was perched, looking like someone had told him they lived in a big ol’ fish bowl or something dumb. Levi glanced at Eren, who rolled green glitterin’ eyes in obvious exasperation. Levi bit his tongue on a laugh as Jean continued. “ _Captain Levi?_ Ain’t nobody keeps their temper like him, you’re full of shit.”

Nile’s eyebrows climbed his forehead, making his thin high hairline arch in a terribly unattractive way, before he laughed, a braying kind of donkey laugh that brought back the memory of smoky trenches and mystery can meals.  Eren squeezed Levi’s hand before he could lost in the thought, ‘fore he could start thinking about how Isabel had looked in the firelight, how Farlan had always clipped his helmet on while Levi could hardly keep track of his. Levi blinked, then swallowed, pressing his hand up into Eren’s in silent thanks.

“You kids are off your ass,” Nile told them, jerking his chin toward Jean but sweeping his eyes across the disbelieving faces of Armin, Annie, and Jean in turn. Even Krista and Ymir looked skeptical, Krista’s face scrunched up as she peered up at Levi like she was tryin’ to imagine him as Nile did. The little blonde shook her head after a second, making Levi bite his tongue on another snort.

“No, really,” Armin said after a moment, when Hanji only hummed at his searching look. “Captain’s got the most even temper I’ve ever seen. Otherwise he probably would’ve shot Jean already and thrown us all out the airlock, one by one. God knows he thinks about it enough.”

“ _Oi_ ,” Levi said, because his threats about the airlock had never been verbal, at least not to the crew. He shot a look at Hanji, who made a show of checking out the ceiling with a curling grin. “I ain’t never said nothing to any of your faces about the airlock. Gossipin’ pieces of _shit_.”

“Didn’t hafta Capt’n,” Krista called, an accent she’d never stopped laying on too thick dancing across the hold. “It’s written on your face just ‘bout every time Jean steps in the room.”

“ _Still_ ,” Jean said, apparently ignoring the insinuation that Levi thought about throwing him out the airlock every time he joined a room. It wasn’t _entirely_ untrue, but that Jean wasn’t going to pursue it was a nice surprise. Usually the little shit like the beat a horse dead with the way he never ruttin’ shut up.

“Captain Levi ain’t _patient_ , we’re all in agreement of that,” Jean continued. Eren shifted, rearing up like he was going to protest, and the face Jean made was a comical grimace that stretched near as far as the Alliance’s dirty fucking paws. “Shut up, Jaeger, we’re in agreement, no one asked you. _Anyway_ , point _is_ ; ain’t never seen Captain Levi lose his temper. Not _once_.”

“Right,” Nile drawled out, disbelieving and sarcastic. Levi made a rude gesture in his direction, but even he knew there was less heat in the movement than there should have been. He just couldn’t shake the warmth that was itching at his limbs, all lazy contentment like Levi hadn’t known in more years than he could count. Eren curled his fingers around Levi’s wrist, pressing against his pulse point gently, face a thundercloud at the offense being slung Levi’s way, and Levi ended snorting, closing his eyes for a moment as he shrugged.

“That does beg the question though,” Armin said, after a moment of Jean probably glowering like a child up at Nile for not elaborating more upon the point of Levi’s temper or lack thereof. “If you were both in the Alliance, how did you end up here? Captain seems to be running from the Alliance at every turn, like even if he wasn’t doing crime he’d been on some kind of hit-list of theirs. And yet _you_ , you own all this? I thought it was once a Browncoat, always a Browncoat?”

“Is that the kind of heroic bullshit Levi tells you,” Nile laughed, shoulders shaking, and from beneath Levi’s closed eyelids he sounded almost like he’d use to be, before the war had rolled them both flat. Levi peeked open his eye, found not only Eren’s eyes pinned on him but Nile’s and Hanji’s too, and rolled his eyes, knowing Isabel would’ve stuck her tongue out at him just about now.

“Poetic, that thought, but what it really comes down to is I know when it’s time to put a horse to pasture and Levi don’t think no horse is dead before it’s heart stops. That and some people around here can’t resist the urge to fly off the handle and sock the commander of the Alliance force accepting their surrender on the jaw.”

There was a volley of laughter like gunfire, an excited squeal in there somewhere as everyone whirled to look at Levi. “You _didn’t_ ,” Krista said, hands clasped in front of her while Ymir threw her head back, a cascade of freckled skin in the sunlight as she howled. Crows miles away were probably disturbed by the noise as even Annie snorted, head ducked down to hide the grin Levi would have bet good credits on curling her no good lying lips. Jean, at least, look gobsmacked, jaw open as Armin wheezed at whatever mental image he’d come up it, Hanji humming fondly on their crate at the memory.

Eren, who’d heard the story already, straight from Levi’s sleep-heavy lips one night as they lay in their bunk, didn’t react. He was quieter than he’d ever been before, but in a warm and ready wait, more like he was waiting than anything else. Coiled a little, like a snake, listening to the footsteps overhead and wondering when would be best to strike.

Levi could’ve kissed him right then, for the warm squeeze of his fingers curling atop Levi’s own. It was a grounding sensation Levi hadn’t realized he’d been needing.

“He sure as shit did,” Hanji confirmed, when everyone stopped waiting for Levi to answer and looked to them instead. “This bastard was tall and cocky as could fucking be, piss yellow blonde, decked out in more self-important medals than he probably deserved. When they requested Levi apologize for his right hook, Levi spat on him. Proudest day of my damned life.”

“Oh shut the ruttin’ hell up,” Levi swore, laughing a little at the way Hanji was clutching their chest and fanning their face, tearing up so gorram dramatically like some kind of over-excited mother. Levi reached back with his free hand and balled up an old rag left on the cart behind him, tossing it in their direction with a shake of his head. “Bastard fucking deserved another swing, but they hauled me off before I could get one in.”

“You’re ruttin’ joking,” Jean said. He looked a little green ‘round the gills, staring between Levi and Hanji like they’d told him they used to run naked in the woods or some shit, maybe grown a few extra limbs. “You decked a ruttin’ Alliance commander? During your surrender?”

“A _well-known_ Alliance commander,” Nile corrected. “This story was so big in the wake of the war winding down I heard it all the way in my section of the galaxy. _Good ol’ Levi_ , I remember thinking; on’y he’d be dumb enough to take a swing during peacetime like that.”

“You know, I remember thinkin’ the same gorram thing when we heard of the way you tucked your tail between your legs and rolled over at the first sign of a cute skirt,” Levi muttered, maybe a little meanly. Eren’s laugh more than made up for it though, echoing around the hall as Hanji made a brisk _tsk_ sound in the back of their thought, Nile’s face clouding over for a hot second before he rolled his eyes and blew out a breath.

“You get a free pass this time, you short piece of shit,” Nile muttered, shifting off the wall to tower with a ruffle of his coat, sunlight catching the gleam of his pistols on his belt. Levi almost mocked a bow, but Eren was bubbling for a fight, jaw clenched so much Levi was scared for his beautiful bright teeth.

“Let’s go see if that Maria of yours needs any help fixing dinner for this horde,” Hanji said, smooth as could be as they rose from their crate. A glance Levi’s way told them they were well aware of the hair-trigger Eren was sitting on. It took a little coaxing, and a lot of grumbling, but eventually the crew followed Nile and Hanji down the plank, kicking up dust as they went, Levi calling after them that he and Eren would be after them once they’d locked up everything on the ship and checked the exhausts over.

Eren didn’t speak until everyone was gone, nothing more than a tumbleweed in sight, tension in his shoulders bleeding out from him with a sagging sigh. “Sorry,” Eren muttered, head ducking so low his forehead almost brushed Levi’s shoulder as he leaned in. “I just- don’t like him.”

“Nile’s a sack of shit,” Levi said, no real heat in his voice. He reached over, cupping his fingers around Eren’s jaw until his head was up again, sunlight kissing his cheeks. Eren looked at him, green eyes, shimmering with the upheaval that must’ve been knocking around his head and chest all afternoon. “But he ain’t a bad man, Eren. He’ll do this crew right, ever we need him. Doesn’t matter what he says to me.”

“It _does_ matter,” Eren said, exploding off the cart and not so much pacing across the floor, but dancing instead, his boots setting up a beat across the metal grated floor that felt like a heartbeat. Eren gestured, wordlessly expansive, mouth working, voice squeaking in his throat, so worked up his fingers curled and twitched, and Levi slid off the cart and into his path, tucking himself under Eren chin and against his chest in a feat made easy from practice.

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Levi said, Eren rocking to a stop against him, bleeding heat, bluster a blush across his face. “Ain’t never bothered me, what people say ‘bout me, so long as they say it to my face. Ain’t ever cared so much about what anyone thinks.” He paused, sliding his arm around Eren’s back, knuckles brushing the knobs of Eren’s spine until he could feel the shudder that wracked him as he sighed. Eren blinked, shimmers in his eyeballs softening into barely a glimmer, more like the surface of a lake that something that could cut, and Levi grinned wryly at him, feeling his chest expand with the kind of warmth that he’d been soaking up with Eren beside him all afternoon.

“Ain’t never bothered me until I met you,” Levi amended quietly. “Now what you think ‘bout me is the one thought in the big black sky that matters.”

All the wind went outta Eren’s sails, a pout gracing his lips, the one he never got to finish back in that old mill. Levi smiled at him, outta words for the moment, content to let Eren come to his own conclusion, no place in the world he would’ve rather been right then. After a moment Eren rolled his eyes, lips quirking up into a grin, and he muttered, “well it’s good then that I think you’re real _swell_ ,” with a sparkle of his teasing charm in his eyes before he swooped in for a kiss.

Levi rose to meet him, laughing against Eren’s mouth as the taller man tugged sharply on Levi’s suspenders. Eren swallowed his laughter, more than familiar with the way the sound tasted, or at least he had to be considering how much he made Levi laugh just as they kissed.

(Later when they loaded up to shove off once more, well fed and well scowled at from one Maria Dawk, former Alliance military nurse, Nile catch Levi’s arm on the edge of the docking bay. The rest of the crew was up in the ship, Eren tucked into the ‘pit with Armin, Hanji directing the rest in the kitchen somewhere with the leftovers, putting away supplies and the such, so it was just the two of them, the night sky twinklin’ overhead.

“Quite a crew you got there, Ackerman,” Niles said. It toed the edge of being a compliment, something lurking under his words, like the intention of a right-hook in a barfight that hadn’t erupted quite yet. Levi quirked an eyebrow at him and said nothing, waiting for him to get to his point. Nile’s eyebrows bent toward, two little patchy ragged lines that twitched unattractively as he sighed.

“That fast one,” he said softly, adding, “Eren,” after a second like there was any ever doubt where this was going. Levi felt his gut tighten, coiling like a spring as Nile’s expression went somewhere almost _sympathetic_. Levi could’ve gagged at the sight. “He’s got one of those faces, Levi. It’d be best if you kept him outta sight, ‘pending on the moon you landed on. Don’t wanna bite off more than you can chew, y’know?”

_Got one of those faces_ , Levi thought. He swallowed at the implication, that Nile had recognized Eren from one of the wanted broadcasts from the Alliance. He hadn’t thought they’d bothered sending them out this far, but apparently those bastards had. He swallowed, nodding in a jerky motion once, and Nile sighed, shoulders drooping.

“Take care, Levi,” Nile muttered, clasping him on the shoulder. “Glad to see you got a good crew, though. ‘Bout time you stopped running around one your own.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Levi muttered back, shoving Nile’s hand away from him and snorting. “Get the ruttin’ hell outta here, you bastard; go back to your wife, already for gorram sake. See you ‘round.”

Nile rolled his eyes and with a wave of his hand stalked away, brown coat trailing after him into the dark. Levi watched him go, hitting the button to lift the bay and seal the airlock with the hell of his hand. Once that was all good and sealed he turned away, climbing the stairs in the quiet bay, following the faintest sound trickling in from the kitchen, toward his crew, toward, hopefully, some corner of the ‘verse where the Alliance couldn’t touch, somewhere where hopefully they’d be work.

Toward Eren, and somewhere they’d be safe.)

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to post this Friday but I caught up hanging w the most incredible human being and then today I went ziplining so. have this now. I enjoyed writing this a lot, because it got to show a different aspect of their dynamic and also a more stable Eren so.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! as usual if anyone has any questions about Firefly I can ask them ;)


End file.
